ALBAWABA - Massive wildfires near occupied Jerusalem force evacuations and emergency declarations as Israel battles one of its worst fire crises.
Massive evacuations of residents and a high security alert have been issued in Israel as a result of the fires that are expected to grow over the next several hours.
Fires are sweeping over the occupied Jerusalem Hills area, and they are being reported as being among the deadliest that have occurred in recent years.
Israeli officials have declared a state of emergency and begun mass evacuations of villages that are at danger of being destroyed by the flames. This comes in the midst of exceptionally severe weather conditions that are making it difficult to put out the fires and increasing the likelihood that they may reach other areas.
The Israeli National Security Command has announced that it has obtained commitments from Italy and Croatia for the arrival of three firefighting aircraft to Kandahar. Additionally, discussions are now taking place with additional nations, including Greece and Cyprus, to engage in the aerial firefighting operations. The preparedness of emergency teams to accept this help in the next hours is now underway.
Following the arrival of flames on Highway 1, which is considered to be one of the most important thoroughfares in the area, the Israeli police made the announcement that the highway would be closed. It has been made clear by the Ministry of Transportation and Netivei Israel that the separation barrier that was located along the route was disassembled by specialized teams in order to make it easier for rescue vehicles to get through.
The heavy vehicle unit of the police department has been deployed on the ground in an effort to suppress the fire and make it easier for homeowners to evacuate their premises.
According to what has been reported, the flames have extended to significant areas, such as Neve Shalom, Beit Meir, Nachshon, Mevo Horon, the Latrun Compound, and Canada Park, where hundreds of inhabitants have been forced to leave their homes. Instructions have been issued by the police to be ready for the evacuation of further regions in the event that it becomes necessary. It has been stated by the Fire and Rescue Service that there are 105 firefighting personnel now on the ground, and that there are 12 aircraft attempting to control the flames.
The wind speeds that were observed by meteorologists ranged from sixty to seventy kilometers per hour, which made the work of controlling the flames exceedingly challenging. However, it is anticipated that the winds will lessen this evening, and there is a potential that they will rise once again tomorrow, which may enhance the likelihood that the flames will spread.
It has been requested that members of the general public avoid from approaching Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, which is situated in close proximity to the impacted regions, unless it is an emergency. Patients who were not considered to be vital were evacuated, and the staff was ready to handle any casualties that may have occurred. While everything was going on, the director of Shamir Hospital reported that eight wounded patients had arrived at the facility.
According to the police, a man in his fifties from Umm Tuba was taken into custody when he was trying to intentionally set fire to an open field located south of the occupied territory of Jerusalem. Lighting equipment were taken away from him, and an inquiry was launched into the probe.
As a result of these developments, a number of activities commemorating Independence Day were canceled in a number of cities, including Ashkelon, Beersheba, Lod, Ariel, Modi'in, Ma'ale Adumim, and Mevaseret Zion. These decisions were made in accordance with the recommendations made by the security and emergency services. The ceremony that was supposed to take place tonight to ignite the torch has also been canceled.
